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T3 Alaska Program

Anan Bear Monitoring Project Nears Completion

The Anan Wildlife Observatory, located 30 miles southeast of Wrangell, Alaska, is renowned for its significant run of pink salmon, attracting a high density of both black and brown bears. The observatory, featuring a covered viewing shelter, decks, photo blind, and outhouses, is now the site of an innovative bear monitoring project initiated by T3 Alaska students in collaboration with the US Forest Service. The primary goal of this five-year grant-funded program is to install monitoring devices that will enhance the understanding of Alaska’s bear populations and increase public access through remote viewing.

The project has some unique challenges due to the remote setting. Anan Wildlife Observatory lacks a grid power source and internet capabilities necessary for camera operation and data transmission. These logistical hurdles were identified early in the project by the T3 Alaska students and led them to prototype several solutions. They created an underwater salmon camera, calculated power budgets for an off-grid solar array, and devised networking strategies to connect the cameras to a local display.

The project has been a community effort, with numerous partners contributing to its success. Special thanks go to individuals and organizations such as James Eden, Greg Clark, Brian Ashton, Victoria Houser, Claire Froehlich, Dylan Low, Jenn Kardiak, Heather Howe, and Brian Reggiani, whose support and expertise were crucial. Their involvement has been instrumental in giving Wrangell’s T3 Alaska students the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the Anan Bear Monitoring project.

With the arrival and installation of the necessary equipment, including solar panels, battery packs, and camera systems, the project is nearing its operational phase. T3 Alaska students have been actively involved in every step, from preparing the installation site and setting up the power system to positioning the cameras for optimal bear observation. As the first images from the cameras are captured, the excitement builds towards the project’s official presentation in the very near future, where the live feed will be showcased, allowing the broader community to experience the bears of Anan Wildlife Observatory remotely.

Meanwhile, the community is excited to host Bear Fest July 24-28, an event dedicated to bears! Enjoy symposiums, cultural events, art & photo workshops, fine dining, a marathon, & much more

Update! Bear Camera is Live!

On July24, 2024 the Anan Bear Observatory camera went live. Watch it directly on explore.org or you can view the YouTube stream below.

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